Car parked the whole week, then driven once. need advice

[bythabay]

I am a student and I usually drive my 3vze (1993 toyota pickup v6 motor) about 110 miles each weekend. (I drive from san jose to san francisco on the weekends). During the week though, the rig is just parked under a roof (outdoor garage). Is this okay for the motor? Generally speaking, is it bad for the motor to only be started twice a week for a 55 miles all freeway no traffic drive @ 65mph each time? The car is usually started and driven on fridays and sundays. Currently, i'm using amsoil 10w30 w/ amsoil filter & 6 month oil change intervals. Any input is welcome! Also, another thing I like to do is to let the rpms drop to idle speed before I drive anywhere. If i try driving when the rpms are high (like 1300 or so upon startup) then something just doesn't feel right. it usually takes about 5 minutes for it to get low enough so it feels good to drive. I am assuming that this is just the time it takes for the vehicle to properly warm up. Mechanically, everything is correct, I do not have any idle speed issues. [ December 15, 2003, 06:43 PM: Message edited by: bythabay ]

 

[Ken4]

Keep your gas tank full to prevent condensation. Charging your battery once a week should be okay to prevent sulfation, as long as there is enuf energy to start the car each week. No need to wait 5 mins before driving off, wait 10 secs then drive off. It takes 20~25 mins to fully warm the oil.

 

[bythabay]

what about the really high idle speed when i first start it up; like 1400 rpms; i mean, i can't drive the car when its idling that high upon starting. All the engines like this one are just like that; has always been like this since day 1.

 

[S2000driver]

I think your type of usage is very low on the "hard on the engine" scale, especially since you drive it more than 10 miles when you use it. I drive my S2000 maybe once a week, every several weeks during the winter when I take it out I try to run it at least 50 miles. I run it quite vigorously too. But only AFTER the temperature gage reaches operating temperature. One thing you might want to consider (what I do) is using a "trickle" battery charger the day before you start the car (about 500mA-2A depending on your battery's capacity). That way you give the engine the highest possible quality startup. [ December 15, 2003, 10:52 PM: Message edited by: S2000driver ]

 

[bythabay]

well I can't do that trickle charger setup becuase it will probably get stolen; along with some other engine components any more advice on warming up or how i treat the oil? does having less charge in my battery for startups have some bad influence on engine wear or something?

 

[rchavis]

What you are experiencing is normal. The Toyota engine you have (The 3vze) has a coolent temp sensor which controls the Electronic transmission. When you first start your car, if the coolant temp is below 180 degrees, This sensor will not allow your transmission to complete it's shifts to 5th gear. Its so that your engine warms up faster as you drive so that to keep emissions down. If you start to drive the vehicle right away you should notice that it shifts into 5th gear after about a mile, depending on the outside temp. It's actually bad for your engine to idle a long time, even tho taxis and police cars do it all the time. the engine was design to operate under a load. Hopes this helps. And yes it's okay to only run your engine twice a week. Sometimes mine don't get started for 2-3 weeks. [ December 16, 2003, 02:16 AM: Message edited by: rchavis ]

 

[bythabay]

One time a friend of mine got into an accident on the way to visit me. I didn't wait any time whatsoever. I jumped into the truck (it hadn't been driven for about a week) and i started it up. 10 seconds later i was driving it and I was on the freeway after about 4 mins after initial startup. I was able to shift into 5th just fine with my 5spd manual. Were you refering to automatics only? or manuals too? so you're saying the reason it keeps the rpms so high is to keep emissions down; that's the only reason? and is 5 minutes really that long to idle a completely cold engine ? to get the rmps low enough to make it drive smoothly? [ December 16, 2003, 02:53 AM: Message edited by: bythabay ]

 

[moribundman]

Don't know why your cold idle is so high in the mild Bay Area climate. Evn when it's really "cold" and the car's been sitting overnight at maybe 45 degrees, the cold idle isn't more than 1100 RPM for a minute or so on my Audi. Then it falls quickly to the regular 750 RPM. Cold idle is just a bit faster to make the cold engine run smoother. And no, only in freezing temps should you idle the engine for maybe 30 sec to a minute before you start driving, otherwise start the engine, wait a couple seconds, the dribe off gently. No WOT or lugging until the motor is warm (ca 10-20 minutes on most cars). The engine and tranny being driven underlow to moderate load with RPM not over 3000, will result in the shortest warming up time and the least wear. Idling (low load) an engine is bad for bearings in any case, but idling the cold engine is bad, because the engine runs rich (more fuel gets into oil) and because it takes forever to warm up. The tranny won't warm up really at all. Driving the car only once week in the Bay Area climate is no problem at all. No worries!

 

[bythabay]

well like i said before, the high idle when cold is normal for this motor (even at bay area temps.) and I thought fuel getting into the oil was a thing of the past thanks to efi..? and it doesn't take forever to warm up; just about 5 mins i know on most cars you can usually wait about a minute and the rpms come down pretty much to idle speed; but it's different with this motor.

 

[bythabay]

doesn't amsoil have a high enough tbn?

 

[47HO]

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doesn't amsoil have a high enough tbn?

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Absolutely.

 

[Schmoe]

I'll probably be banned from this site for saying this as we've had this discussion before, but I truly believe in letting the car throughly warm up before taking off. Why? 1. Car been sitting and the oil has completely drained into the pan. Oil needs to get warm so it can get into all the "nooks and crannies" to completely cover all engine parts. Oil works best when it's warmed up. Why do you think picking out the correct winter formula (the "W" on mulit-visc. oils) is so important to all of us? To get that oil moving quicker when it gets cold. 2. Transmission needs to warm up. Even though it's in park or neutral, it is still turning inside. It too needs to warm up to get an oil coating all over the gears. 3. Metal parts need time to expand and seat properly before placing any stress on them. Just listen to the piston slappers and what they pretty much all say: when engine is throughly warmed up, slap goes away. 4. To the argument that idleing too long dilutes the oil. Well yes, but when you take off and drive it when it's nice and warm, you'll burn off that little bit of fuel that got dumped in the engine oil and the moisture as well. 5. It's not only the engine. Think of the hoses that slowly come up to pressurization, i.e. radiator hoses, both upper and lower. On newer cars, the thermostat plays a big role in deciding if the engine should run richer or leaner. If it's too rich, you could ruin your valves or worse yet, crank rods and/or wrist pins. OK. OK. I'm done. Don't hurt me too hard!! As always, this is my opinion. Just like butts and elbows, everybody has one. [ December 16, 2003, 03:09 PM: Message edited by: Schmoe ]

 

[moribundman]

quote:

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I'll probably be banned from this site for saying this as we've had this discussion before, but I truly believe in letting the car throughly warm up before taking off. Why? 1. Car been sitting and the oil has completely drained into the pan. Oil needs to get warm so it can get into all the "nooks and crannies" to completely cover all engine parts.

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I don't now about your engine, but mine has oil retention valves in the head. And how cold does it have to be for the oil in your engine to be solid like margarine?

quote:

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Oil works best when it's warmed up. Why do you think picking out the correct winter formula (the "W" on mulit-visc. oils) is so important to all of us? To get that oil moving quicker when it gets cold.

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I don't live in Alaska...

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2. Transmission needs to warm up. Even though it's in park or neutral, it is still turning inside. It too needs to warm up to get an oil coating all over the gears.

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I bet my MT will be hand-warm after 9 hours of idling.

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3. Metal parts need time to expand and seat properly before placing any stress on them. Just listen to the piston slappers and what they pretty much all say: when engine is throughly warmed up, slap goes away.

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I wonder how they got the piston slap in the first place.... Idling an engine is bad for the bearings, that's goes for a warm engine, and even more so for a cold engine.

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4. To the argument that idleing too long dilutes the oil. Well yes, but when you take off and drive it when it's nice and warm, you'll burn off that little bit of fuel that got dumped in the engine oil and the moisture as well.

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The same argument goes for just driving it without warming it up at idle!

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5. It's not only the engine. Think of the hoses that slowly come up to pressurization, i.e. radiator hoses, both upper and lower. On newer cars, the thermostat plays a big role in deciding if the engine should run richer or leaner. If it's too rich, you could ruin your valves or worse yet, crank rods and/or wrist pins.

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If you're worried about your crank and rod bearings, you shouldn't be warming up your motor at idle.

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OK. OK. I'm done. Don't hurt me too hard!! As always, this is my opinion. Just like butts and elbows, everybody has one. [Razz]

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In warm weather (50 degees and up) I start the engine and drive off after about 10 seconds. In cold weather I wait a little longer. At sub-zero temps I wait about 30 seconds.

 

[47HO]

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If you're worried about your crank and rod bearings, you shouldn't be warming up your motor at idle

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Why is this? Shouldn't there be enough oil flow/pressure at idle to properly lubricate these at low rpm? I'm asking this based on assumption.

 

[bythabay]

see that's the whole point, nobody know for sure; everyone just has their opinion. I think that the only person who could truely answer a question like this would be either an omniscient being or the person(s) who designed the motor becuase all motors are different somehow.

 

[S2000driver]

The less charge your battery has during startup, the lower the voltage will drop while cranking. This means that your starter, engine computer, fuel injectors, and spark plugs are working at less than optimum conditions. Your engine is likewise also seeing less than optimum conditions because of these other items. Plus your alternator has to work harder at startup. I'm talking about more than a week's worth of sitting though...

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Originally posted by bythabay: does having less charge in my battery for startups have some bad influence on engine wear or something?

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[bearclaw]

In the mid-80's I bought a new Toyota pickup, one of the last carbureted ones. If the motor was cold, it had a fast idle of 2400 rpm! I thought, this can't be right, so I checked the shop manual and sure enough, fast idle setting spec was 2400-2700 rpm. I cut it down to about half that. I use my Saab once a week in the summer, once every 2-3 wks. in the winter. I use Klotz synthetic upper cyl. lube called Uplon in the gas, don't know if it really helps but it makes me feel better. I also crank the thing with the ignition pulled for about 15-20 sec. before I fire it up when it's been that long. I would think you'd want oil with a higher TBN in there, too.

 

[theguru]

From the NGK SparkPlug Website Fouling of Sparkplugs: "Prolonged Low Speed Driving Or Idling. The engine needs to be at a sufficient operating temperature to achieve self cleaning. During idling, engine temperatures drop below the required 450 oC for self cleaning. "

 

[eldawg4100]

my moms 96 camry collectors edition idles high also, 3.0 v6. in cold, about 1900-2000 rpm, in warm weather starts, like 1500 rpm. Makes me feel funny! The clunk when shifting into reverse and drive is outrageous from all that idle.

 

[moribundman]

quote: If you're worried about your crank and rod bearings, you shouldn't be warming up your motor at idle Why is this? Shouldn't there be enough oil flow/pressure at idle to properly lubricate these at low rpm? I'm asking this based on assumption. [b]I think the increased bearing wear at idle/low RPM has to do with vibration. The slower an engine runs the less smooth it becomes.